Radio technologies in cellular communications have grown rapidly and evolved since the launch of analog cellular systems in the 1980s, starting from the First Generation (1G) in 1980s, Second Generation (2G) in 1990s, Third Generation (3G) in 2000s, and Fourth Generation (4G) in 2010s (including Long Term Evolution (LTE) and variants of LTE). The amount of traffic in cellular networks has experienced a tremendous amount of growth and expansion, and there are no indications that such growth will decelerate. It is expected that this growth will include use of the network not only by humans, but also by an increasing number of machines that communicate with each other, for example, surveillance cameras, smart electrical grids, sensors, home appliances and other technologies in connected homes, and intelligent transportation systems (e.g., the Internet of Things (IOT)). Additional technological growth includes 4K video, augmented reality, cloud computing, industrial automation, and vehicle to vehicle (V2V).
Consequently, advancement in future networks are driven by the demand to provide and account for massive connectivity and volume, expanded throughput and capacity, and ultra-low latency.
Fifth generation (5G) mobile access networks, which can also be referred to as New Radio (NR) access networks, are currently being developed and expected to handle a very wide range of use cases and requirements, including among others enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and machine type communications (e.g., involving IOT devices). 5G wireless communication networks are expected to fulfill the demand of exponentially increasing data traffic and to allow people and machines to enjoy gigabit data rates with virtually zero latency. Compared to existing fourth generation (4G) technologies, such as long-term evolution (LTE) networks and advanced LTE networks, 5G provides better speeds and coverage, targeting much higher throughput with low latency and utilizing higher carrier frequencies (e.g., higher than 6 gigahertz (Ghz)) and wider bandwidths. A 5G network also increases network expandability up to hundreds of thousands of connections.
Fixed packet networks have also evolved greatly, allowing more users to connect on-line. As more homes and businesses are equipped with broadband service, and as more advancements resulting in increased data rate (bandwidth), more subscribers are able to access the Internet from home and other premises using various devices. A variety of communications modalities and devices exist, including several packet-based communications protocols (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP)) that enable broadband access to the Internet and World Wide Web. These include digital subscriber line (DSL) service(s) offered through telephone companies, and data over cable services (e.g., broadband services over the networks traditionally provided by cable television operators).
Both cellular and fixed packet networks today are used for the transfer of packets of electronic information that include data, voice, and video.
The above-described background relating to cellular networks and fixed packet networks is merely intended to provide a contextual overview of some current issues, and is not intended to be exhaustive. Other contextual information may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.